7-Eleven Sued for|Brawl Over a Snickers

BRONX, N.Y. (CN) – A young man shown on YouTube being stripped, beaten and bitten by store clerks who suspected him of stealing a candy bar sued 7-Eleven and the landlords of its Flatbush outlet. David Golson sued 7-Eleven, Fulton Dekalb Inc. and Junaid Raza, in Bronx County Supreme Court. Golson claims that on Oct. 20, 2012 he suffered a “violent, unprovoked and widely publicized assault by … three employees, who beat, stripped, bit and restrained plaintiff, accusing him of stealing goods while he screamed that he was innocent.” He claims the “employees intentionally, brutally and violently assaulted plaintiff in a manner completely disproportionate to what they were accusing, him of: stealing a candy bar.” The complaint does not specify, but local media have reported that Golson was suspected of purloining a Snickers. The lawsuit states: “Despite his repeated requests to be released and his claims of innocence, defendants through its employees pulled, hit, bit and stripped plaintiff of almost all of his clothes with the exception of his underpants, shoes and socks. “All of this was being recorded on the store’s video surveillance camera, which shows that plaintiff was not resisting but merely pleading to be released even as his clothes were being torn off of his body.” Video of the incident ended up on YouTube and almost immediately caught the attention of the New York Daily News, the New York Post, the Huffington Post and ABC News, all of whose articles are still posted on the Internet. In the video , Golson repeatedly shouts, “I don’t have nothing,” as the clerks appear to drag him out of the store and pull his clothes off. Golson says in the lawsuit that he “suffered bruising, bite marks and was caused physical pain.” He adds: “The media attention resulting from the extensive coverage of the incident and the widespread dissemination of images showing plaintiff stripped almost naked have caused plaintiff to suffer severe humiliation, mental anguish and emotional distress from which he may never recover.” Golson seeks damages for assault and battery, prima facie tort, negligence, and respondeat superior. He is represented by Adam Sattler, with Ebanks & Sattler, of Manhattan.